Against All Odds
by Maxcs
Summary: What if Jane Rizzoli had a baby at 16 years old like half the girls in her grade? What if she then, against all odds, joined the police force and still became the Detective we know and love?
1. Chapter 1

"Take him into interrogation" Jane ordered Frankie as her little brother led their scumbag suspect through the precinct. With any luck they had caught the rapist and murderer terrorising Boston and they could put this case to rest. There was nothing worse than rapist cases in Jane's opinion especially when she saw her own daughter's face every time she looked at a victim.

"Uh Jane?" Frankie chuckled as he looked through the window of the interrogation room and saw his 15 year old niece inside. "You might want to help clean up in here first..."

"What?" she sighed and pulled herself away from the chair she'd just sat down in. Planning to let the guy sit alone for awhile and just think, Jane had to throw that tactic out the window. Making her way past the sleazy suspect, Jane looked through the window and sighed. She opened the door and waved in the hope to get her daughter's attention "Is...Isabel...Isabel Rizzoli"

The fifteen year old jumped as her mother barked her full name. Pulling her earphones out of her ears, she grinned "Hey Mom"

"What are you doing here?"

"In this room or in this building?"

"Isabel..."

"I finished school early; Dad cancelled our plans so I came here, I saw Grandma down in the cafe, she said you were out on a case so I came upstairs and it was quiet in here. Did you know Korsak sings to the radio when no-one is in the office?"

"Take a breath Is" Jane laughed. Isabel had picked up her grandmother's talent of talking for lengthy periods of time without taking a breath. "I need you to go sit at my desk to finish your homework ok?"

"But Korsak sings..."

"Korsak won't sing just come on... please?"

"Do you have a suspect?" the fifteen year old asked curiously as she tried to peer past her mother to look. Stepping in the way, Jane gave Isabel the classic Rizzoli 'do it now' stare. Isabel packed up her books, picked up her bag and walked to the door "Who died? Can I go down and watch the autopsy?"

"It's times like this when I wish you were more like your father than you are like me"

"Please?"

"My desk, go"

"Party pooper"

"Yeah Mom, you're a party pooper" the rape suspect hissed as he finally caught a glimpse of Isabel. Taking a deep breath, he leant forward trying to get a whiff of the teenager's perfume. Young was his favourite kind of girl. Frankie slammed the scumbag against the wall as Jane pulled Isabel closer to her body "But she smells so good" he chuckled "And I just love Mom and daughter. My favourite two course meal..."

"Oh that is just fowl and disgusting" Isabel growled and tried to step toward the sleazy man who was still eyeing Jane and her daughter up but Jane held her back.

"And I like 'em with a bit of fire in 'em"

Isabel fought her mother a little harder to break free but Jane wouldn't let go. Frankie began to push the man into the interrogation room but he resisted with all his energy. He loved stirring up the detective and her daughter. Frankie pushed harder and got the scumbag away from his family. Handling him a little rougher than he was supposed to, Frankie didn't care especially when this guy was harassing his niece.

"On second thoughts, can you go down to the cafe to finish your homework?" Jane asked Isabel as they walked away from the interrogation room. The further away Jane could get her daughter the happier she was. "I don't want you here when he gets taken to lock up"

"Gladly"

"I'll be down in a little while ok?"

Jane kissed Isabel's forehead softly before taking a deep breath. She didn't want to walk into that room especially when that low life had the image of her daughter in his sick and twisted mind.

XXXXX

"Hey is this my half?" Jane chuckled as she sat down across from her daughter and picked up the half fluff and peanut butter sandwich. Ever since Isabel was a toddler, she and her mother always shared that kind of sandwich. It had been a ritual for them for so long that they just didn't stop it. "Why is there a bite missing?"

"That was Uncle Frankie. I told him that if he wanted to keep his hand that he had to drop the sandwich and ask Grandma to make him his own" Isabel giggled and nudged her Uncle who had been sitting with her since Jane took over in the interrogation room earlier. After listening to that creep, Frankie just needed to be around his family even if it meant helping with 10th grade algebra homework

"The kid was serious, I was a little scared"

"That's my girl" the detective smiled and took a bite of the sweet sandwich.

_Jane never wanted to be like every other girl in her class at school but she was 16, in love and pregnant before she could even realise what was happening. Doing her best to stay in school, Jane wouldn't have been able to graduate if her family hadn't been so great. Even as teenagers, Frankie and Tommy had always been good with Isabel not to mention Angela. Jane's mom was outraged at the idea that her 16 year old daughter would be a mother herself but as soon as she saw little Isabel, she melted into the adoring grandmother. _

_Determined not to be just another stereotype, Jane joined the police force like she had always dreamed and worked her way up to detective. It may have been a couple years later than she had originally planned but she worked hard to get where she was as a homicide detective and a mother. Isabel turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to the young Italian. _

"So what is this about your Dad cancelling your plans? You're not staying with him tonight?" Jane asked as she took a sip of her daughter's soda

"Will that ruin your date night Mom?" Isabel smirked knowing that her mother had a double date planned with her best friend Maura that night "The only night's you want me to stay with Dad are the night's you have a date and that's not very often"

"Hey..."

"What's his name?"

There was a long silence before Jane gave in "Jorge"

"Hor-hay?" she giggled.

"Yes but I'm not going..."

"You are going on this date tonight Jane" Maura insisted after overhearing the last of the conversation as she walked into the cafe. Craving a strong dose of caffeine, the medical examiner was delighted to see the Rizzoli family gathered. They were the closest thing she had ever come to real warm and caring family.

"But I can't now. Isabel..."

"Isabel will hang out with Uncle Frankie" the teenager cut in before quickly turning to her uncle "That's ok isn't it?"

"Of course it is" Frankie smiled. Anything to get him out of patrol. He just wanted to go home, order pizza and watch the game "I recorded the Sox game"

"Perfect" Maura chuckled and looked to her best friend who was not happy. Her one salvation was quickly diminished. She'd much rather eat takeout and watch a baseball game than dressing up for a date with a guy in her yoga class.

"You two planned this didn't you?" The detective growled playfully as she stared down her giggling daughter and smirking best friend. They may not have planned it exactly but the whole situation definitely worked out well in their favour. Any opportunity for them to torture Jane was a day well spent. Just as Maura was going to make a 'Google-esque' comment like she usually did, both her and Jane's cell phones began to ring.

"Rizzoli"

"Isles"

"Ok I'll be right there"

"I'm on my way"

Jane and Maura hung up almost simultaneously after their phone calls. Both were needed at a crime scene to investigate another girl found dumped after a rape and murder. It dug their creepy little suspect deeper into trouble if his DNA popped up at this crime scene.

"Go catch the bad guy..." Isabel smiled knowing exactly what phone calls beginning with 'Rizzoli' meant.

"Before I go tell me why your Dad cancelled. I will stay with you tonight if you want ok?

"No go on your date with Hor-hay" the teenager smiled slightly "You haven't spoken to Dad at all lately?"

"No..."

"Maybe you should call him"

"Isabel..."

"He cancelled tonight because he has a meeting with the Governor. He just took the job as your new Lieutenant" Isabel said just loud enough for her mother to hear. Cowering away slightly at the sight of Jane's face, Isabel feared the reaction.

"He what?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I own NOTHING in relation to Rizzoli and Isles. That all belongs to the amazingly talented Tess Gerritsen and Janet Tamaro. I did take a scene from the show in this chapter and tried to modify as much as possible. **

**And I bet you all guessed who Isabel's father is. If not I promise you find out in this chap!**

"So... What do you think of him?" Maura asked with a soft giggle. After making up a rouse to get Jane away from the men, she was dying to know what her best friend thought of her date. Peering back through the restaurant, Jane smiled before turning back to Maura.

"He's sexy"

"I think you should take him home..."

"Maura!" The detective sighed

"What? You just said he was sexy"

"Just because I like the way he looks in yoga class doesn't mean I'm going to like the way he looks in my bed"

"And did you know that sex produces Immunoglobulin A? Wards off colds..." Maura smirked

Jane sighed softly considering the idea for a second before shaking her head "No not tonight. Isabel..."

"Is staying at your mother's tonight... Nice try"

Screwing up her nose, Jane knew her best friend was right. She needed the Immunoglobulin A anyway. Going back to the table after an acceptable amount of time 'in the restroom', the quartet decided against dessert and asked for the cheque.

XXXXX

"So Maura said you were in medicine, are you a doctor?" Jane asked as she and Jorge began their ascent up to Jane's apartment. Still nervous about what could happen, she was just going to suck it up and give it a try. She had always been apprehensive to dating around Isabel but she was getting older and actually pushing her mother into dating. The teenager just wanted her to be happy.

"No..." Jorge chuckled

"EMT?"

"Nurse" he smiled as the pair stopped outside Jane's apartment.

"A male nurse? How cool" she chuckled awkwardly and turned to the door just so Jorge wouldn't see her face. Hearing Joe Friday scratching at the other side of the door, she quickly found her opportunity for a change of subject "I really should take Joe Friday for a walk"

"It's a beautiful night, we'll both take her for a walk"

Jane opened the door and saw their ball of fluff dog being quickly whisked from her feet. Looking up, she saw Isabel with Joe Friday in her arms "I was just going to take her... Hi" she chuckled and stepped back.

"Isabel, why aren't you with Frankie?" Jane asked quickly giving her daughter the 'this is my date, why are you here' eyes. It's not that she was happy to see Isabel, Jane was always a little uncomfortable introducing men to her fifteen year old on the first date. It tended to freak them out.

"We dropped by to get my Chemistry project notes that I forgot and by the time I found them U... Frankie was asleep on the couch" she chuckled and pointed to the couch and her sleeping Uncle. With one leg flopped over the arm rest the young police officer didn't look at all comfortable "I'll just go finish my homework... somewhere else"

"No don't go" Jorge smiled and extended his hand out to the teenager. He was intrigued as to who this girl was "I'm Jorge"

"Yes, sorry Jorge this is Isabel, my..." Jane began until she thought about the couple other guys that ran for the hills when they found out about Isabel. Noticing this anxiety on her mother's face, Isabel knew exactly how to defer

"Her personal chef, hairdresser when the curls just won't work, computer programmer when the on button doesn't work" the teenager giggled and shook Jorge's hand politely. He still looked confused but he would figure it out eventually "I'll just go" Isabel picked up her books in her free hand and carried Joe Friday in the other. There wasn't much she could do about Frankie so his presence might be just what her Mom needs to get out of an awkward situation.

"Looks like we don't need to take Joe Friday for a walk, how about some wine?"

Sooner or later Jorge would start asking questions but maybe with some wine they would take a little longer. That was Jane's hope at least. Pouring out two glasses, she handed one to Jorge and leant against the bench "So uh what happened between you and your girlfriend?"

"We couldn't agree on kids"

"You wanted them and she didn't?"

"No..." he chuckled and took a sip of wine "I'd love to be a stay at home Daddy. I need a strong woman to support the family. Someone has to work right? You know how it is with..."

"Right" Jane smiled and took quite a large sip of her wine only to choke on a little as she heard a distant muffled laugh from down the hall. Coughing softly, she hoped Jorge hadn't heard Isabel eavesdropping. "I don't mean to be rude but it's getting late..."

"Of course" Jorge smiled and set his glass down "I had a lovely night, we should do this again"

"Yeah..." Jane nodded and pulled Jorge into a quick friendly hug before escorting him to the door "Drive safe"

"Goodnight Jane"

Shutting the door with a smile, Jane lent against it and let out a deep breath. She rested her head in her hands and thought about what had just happened. Jorge was a nice guy there was no denying that but he just wasn't right for Jane. Just like Jorge was looking for a strong woman, Jane looked for a strong man that could handle her, her job and her daughter. A man that could cope with all three was a keeper. Taking another deep breath, she just wanted to go to bed and end this interesting night. Looking up, Jane saw her daughter poking her head out of her bedroom

"Sorry... I should have called or texted or something. Did I ruin your date with 'Stay at home Daddy'?"

"No, it's ok" Jane laughed and signalled for Isabel to walk toward her. Pulling her daughter into a tight hug, she kissed her forehead "But I did hear you laugh"

"Who wouldn't laugh? He wants to be a stay at home Daddy. There's no such thing as a stay at home Daddy in this house, sorry buddy" Isabel chuckled and looked up at her Mom "Speaking of... Dad called looking for you"

"Does he know you told me about his new job?"

"He assumed..."

"So he's calling to try and soften the impact of his presence in my office every day"

"Is it going to be so bad working with him?" Isabel asked curiously as she pulled away from her mother. Forever holding a small hope her parents could work out their differences for her sake at least, Isabel didn't like her Mom hating on her Dad so much.

_It's not as if Joey Grant was a bad father. He adored his little girl and did everything in his power to make sure she had anything she needed. After trying to make their relationship work, Jane and Joey realised that two sixteen year olds and a baby didn't make a family. It just made conflict and they were better off apart only coming together when Isabel needed them to. _

_Jane was ok with the separation to begin with but as the years passed and Joey advanced as a cop himself, he started to cancel plans and disappoint Isabel. He got busy with work and Isabel understood that but Jane didn't. Even though Joey made it up to his daughter every time he cancelled plans, Jane still got a little angry when Isabel was upset. _

"I just don't get why he's moved from the drug squad. I thought he liked it there" Jane shrugged knowing that this job was just a stepping stone to something higher. She wasn't about to tell Isabel that though.

"With him on Homicide now maybe he might have some more free time or maybe he just wants to be close to us, we're still his family remember?" Isabel smiled

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"I'd like you two to be civil for my sake" she sighed and stuffed her hands into her pockets "I know he won't be in Homicide long but could we make the most of it while he is? If you guys are working together then I'll get to see more of both of you... together"

"I know and we'll be civil" Jane smiled softly "You better go finish that Chemistry homework"


	3. Chapter 3

"You're going to be late for school" Jane stated as she and Isabel walked off the elevator at the Homicide Department's floor. Insisting she went with her mother to work that morning, Isabel had an ulterior motive to 'forgetting her algebra book'. It was her Dad's first day as Lieutenant of the Boston Homicide Department and the transition between him and Jane was going to be far from smooth. Isabel just wanted them to try not to kill each other.

"I swear I left my algebra book here last night and I have a test this afternoon" the teenager sighed and walked straight for her mother's desk looking for the neon green notebook. With her algebra book stuffed in her school bag, the fifteen year old needed an opportunity to plant it without her mother knowing.

"You can recite that book with your eyes closed can't it wait? I'll find it through the day"

"No I need it..."

"Isabel you'll be late for school"

"Then she will get a police escort" Joey chuckled as he overheard Jane's insistence that Isabel got to school as he walked into his new department. Pulling his daughter into a warm hug, he kissed the top of her head softly before handing her a small white box "Grandma Rosa's Chocolate Cannoli just the way you like them"

"Thank you Daddy" Isabel smiled and peeked inside the box and was met with the sweet smell of her grandmother's famous dessert.

Noticing Isabel's school bag open slightly, Joey out of sheer habit zipped it back up again "You do know your algebra book is in your backpack right?" he chuckled and when Isabel looked up at her mother she knew it had been loud enough for her to hear.

"So sue me for hoping that my being here would dampen the explosion" Isabel sighed and headed straight for the door. Knowing that her Mom and Dad would be at each other all day, she hoped that focusing on the one thing they both loved would somehow change the day's inevitable outcome.

"Stop" Jane insisted and stepped in Isabel's path. Pushing the teenager's hair behind her ears, Jane hated seeing her daughter upset "I'm sorry. We'll be civil. You can even come by after school and see that we haven't killed each other ok?"

"Ok" she nodded and made her way to the elevator.

Jane watched her daughter til the elevator doors closed and she couldn't see the teenager's dark curls anymore. Sensing Joey standing behind her, she sighed softly. "She doesn't want us to fight..."

"I won't if you won't"

Jane looked back at Joey and shook her head slightly. They both knew that was a promise neither of them could keep. Their childhood friendship slowly disintegrated after their daughter was born and they worked their way up in the police force. Jane had to defy the odds to become the only female detective in the Boston Homicide Department while Joey found his ride to the top rather smooth.

Politics, sexism and competitive edge pushed the pair further apart with every case and promotion. Isabel's birthday parties went from loving family affairs to hostile encounters when the little girl wasn't looking. Neither Jane nor Joey thought their daughter knew but she was a smart kid. They didn't fight all the time but it was tense more often than it was peaceful.

"We need to find a way to get along Jane. If not for the sake of this unit then for Isabel" Joey sighed "She's hoping us working together will be good"

"She's hoping us working together will stop you cancelling your plans with her every week. When was the last time you didn't reschedule on her?" Jane snapped and turned to walk back to her desk ready to bury herself in the Boston Strangler case that had re-opened recently.

"You know you never change" Joey commented as he took Jane's arm to stop her "And I'm going to need everything you've got on the second strangling victim"

"Yes sir, Lieutenant, sir"

"Strike one Rizzoli"

XXXXX

"Where does Joey get off telling me I have two strikes left? What the hell is he going to do?" Jane ranted to Maura as the medical examiner began the autopsy on their first strangling victim.

"Well he is your Lieutenant..."

"Not helping Maura"

"I know, I'm sorry" she shrugged and continued her autopsy "Y'know Grant seems to be very popular. Maybe he's a lot nicer away from work?"

"Oh yeah he's a peach, I would know" Jane snapped sarcastically. Maura didn't know Joey Grant like she did but that didn't stop Jane's snarky comments. Even though Maura and Jane had been friends for quite some time, the medical examiner had no contact with her favourite teenager's father.

"I thought you promised Isabel that you would be nice..."

"I promised her I would be civil, I never said anything about nice"

"Maybe you could be nice and take the preliminary reports up to him" Maura smirked and handed a file to her best friend. A firm believer that Jane and Joey still harboured feelings for each other, Maura wanted the pair to discover it for themselves rather than opening that can of worms herself.

"Mhmph" she groaned and took the file before making her way out of the morgue and toward the elevator.

Jane made her way through the homicide department to Joey's office. Knocking as she walked in the door, she ignored the fact he was wrapping up a phone call and just sat down.

"Is that the report from the second victim?" Joey asked after he hung up the phone and held his hand out for the file Jane was carrying. Handing it over, Jane simply nodded as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and rocked back and forth on her heels. Isabel definitely got that habit from her mother.

"Y'know I noticed a lot of similarities between our two victims and the Boston Strangler victims from the 60's. It's exactly the same MO and when we ran the names, they're in the same order as the original killings" Jane shrugged.

"No"

"Isn't it worth looking into? Some of these details were never released..."

"The Boston Strangler confessed, went to prison and died there Jane. He's not back"

"But what if Albert DeSalvo wasn't the Boston Strangler?"

"He was the Strangler. The murders stopped when he was arrested. Albert DeSalvo is dead Jane"

"But..."

"No" Joey sighed loudly "I don't want to hear another word about the Boston Strangler in this office, do you hear me?"

"But the two victims have the same names!" Jane insisted but Joey's anger only grew with each of Jane's rebuttal

"That case nearly buried this city Jane"

"So ignore the obvious links?"

"Solve the murders and forget about the Boston Strangler. They are in no way related" Joey growled and stood up hoping Jane would take that as a cue to leave.

"You know I remember you when you cared more about the people than the politics" Jane sighed and walked straight out of Joey's office. So much for remaining civil to each other


	4. Chapter 4

Jane and Maura ducked under the police tape as they entered the crime scene of a teenager's suspicious death. Assessing the scene instantly, Jane couldn't find anything strange. Maura immediately began her assessment on the body which included picking his pockets for identification.

"I found his school ID" she commented and placed the black wallet in Jane's awaiting hand.

"God, he's 15" Jane sighed after reading the school card "He would have been in the 10th grade just like Isabel"

"Are you ok Jane?"

"Yeah I'm ok; it's just hard to think this kid is the same age as Isabel"

Maura and Jane continued to process the scene and the body as the media frenzy began a few feet away. Joey did his job and tried to manage them as well as possible hoping his 'we're doing everything we can to find those responsible' answers were sufficient. Until they knew what killed this kid, he couldn't say much more. Joey gave the reporters one last 'you can trust the police' smiles before making his way over to Jane and Maura hoping they had answers.

"What have you got for me Rizzoli?"

Jane turned with a scoff only to be met by Joey's hand held up as if to signal for her to wait. Pulling his ringing cell from his pocket only annoyed Jane further as she turned back to Maura completely ignoring her boss. Joey stepped away and answered his phone, unsure of why Isabel's school's number had come up.

"Grant"

"I'm calling for Isabel Rizzoli-Grant's father. This is the Principal of her school"

"This is her father, is everything ok?" he asked nervously. The only other time Isabel's Principal called was when she fell down a set of stairs and broke her wrist. Isabel wasn't the type to get into trouble. With cops for parents, she knew the consequences.

"She's been involved in a fight"

"A fight?"

Jane looked up from the limp body of her teenage victim at the sound of Joey's gasp. Stepping further away from Jane, he didn't need her overreacting in front of all these photographers and reporters.

"Is it possible for you to come down and collect your daughter?" The Principal continued

"Yeah... Yes I'm on my way"

"Your Mom having a fight with the paper boy again?" Jane chuckled as she noticed Joey hang up the phone. It had been a running joke in their neighbourhood as kids that Mrs Grant always fought with the paperboy if her newspaper wasn't on her doorstep at 7am every morning. She was a picky and demanding old Italian woman, one no-one ever wanted to fight with. Joey always seemed to be the one reigning her back in.

"I have something to take care of" Joey began after quickly deciding not to tell Jane of what his phone call was about. He would deal with this and from there decide whether it should be Isabel telling her mother what is going on. "I want the preliminary reports on this kid on my desk by the time I get back"

"Which will be..."

"Whenever I get back" he smirked and put on his sunglasses before leaving the scene. Even though he'd been getting along with Jane as per his daughter's request over the past few weeks, Joey still liked annoying her like they were 15 again themselves.

As he got closer to Isabel's private school, ideas of how and why his usually placid and quiet daughter could get into a fight. Knowing his little girl, something really had to provoke her before she snapped. The one trait she didn't inherit from both her parents was their short tempers. She was definitely more laid back like her Grandfather.

Isabel sat cross legged on the chair outside of the Principal's office with her iPod in her ears scratching at her chipped purple nail polish. Taking out her earphones as soon as she saw her father, Isabel looked up at him with a pained expression. Joey sighed softly and ran his thumb over Isabel's cheek softly at the sight of the large gash just below her eye. He didn't even want to address the split and swollen lip that she had as well.

"What happened baby girl?" Joey asked as he sat down next to Isabel. He'd deal with the Principal after he heard the story from his daughter first. Taught to be unbiased when hearing all angles of a story, Joey threw basic police rules out the window when it came to Isabel.

"I snapped" she shrugged not really wanting to talk about it

"You're the most placid kid I have ever met. Something really had to anger you for you to get into a fight"

Staring at her chipped nail polish for another moment, Isabel pushed her hair behind her ear and ran her fingers over the pink scar just below her jaw. It had stopped hurting a couple months before hand but the teenager couldn't help but wince at the pain she felt when the scalpel first made that cut.

_Every detective had that one case they could never quite solve or one that just got so personal that it engulfed their entire lives. For Jane Rizzoli that was 'The Surgeon', a serial killer that was meticulous in the way he murdered his victims. He would target well off couples and his signature was slitting the throat cleanly severing the carotid artery and jugular vein. The case became so prominent that even Isabel knew Charles Hoyt's methods back to front. Talking the case through with her Mom was the only thing that kept Jane from sinking into a state of obsession._

_In pursuit of Charles Hoyt, Jane was captured and pinned down with scalpels piercing both of her hands. If it wasn't for Korsak then she may not have survived Hoyt's torture. If it wasn't for Isabel then the post traumatic stress of the torture may have gotten the best of the young detective. _

_Just when the Rizzoli family and the Boston Police Department thought they had seen the end of Charles Hoyt, the manipulative psychopath trained an apprentice. Jane had become a challenge to Hoyt after escaping him the first time but as soon as he caught wind that his new favourite had a daughter he couldn't help himself. _

_The scar that Isabel tried hard to cover with makeup everyday was caused after Hoyt escaped prison and came for his prize... Jane. What better way to lure Jane than to kidnap her daughter and threaten torture? Hoyt's apprentice however went one step further and took a scalpel to the fifteen year old's throat while her mother watched. _

_If you asked Isabel how they managed to survive Hoyt and his apprentice, she couldn't tell you. The trauma of it all was locked away in her mind and the teenager refused to think about it. She wouldn't even tell her father who had been undercover with the drugs squad what she went through. He had to hear it from Jane and the rest of the Boston Homicide Department. What he never told his daughter was that Hoyt was the reason he wanted the Homicide Lieutenant job. Even though the psychopath was behind bars yet again, Joey wanted to make sure his girls were safe. _

"She knew about Hoyt" Isabel began softly "She said maybe Hoyt should have tried harder..."

**A little more intense. Do you guys think I need to change the rating? Are you liking the story so far?**


	5. Chapter 5

"I am not above arresting your daughter and having her prosecuted in adult court for what was said to Isabel" Joey growled angrily as he stormed into the Principal's office and seeing the girl who attacked Isabel and her father. Making sure his badge was very much visible, he watched both the father and daughter eye the gold nervously.

"Mr Grant" Principal Sun smiled cautiously. Knowing Isabel was the daughter of two police officers scared the petite Japanese woman.

"You can't arrest me" Lindsay piped up with as much confidence as she could manage. This tough guy wasn't going to scare her. Holding an ice pack up to her nose that Isabel had clearly broken, Lindsay tried not to show her fear for Joey.

"You threatened, harassed and assaulted the daughter of a police officer. I think I can"

"Now Mr Grant can we please talk rationally about this?" Principal Sun continued softly

"Mr uh..." Joey asked as he turned to Lindsay's father

"Harris"

"Mr Harris. You seem like an intelligent man, do you read the newspapers?"

"Yes..."

"So you must have read a couple months back about a serial killer by the nickname of 'The Surgeon'?"

"Yes..."

"Seems that your daughter read about that same story and that Isabel and her mother were the two victims that survived" Joey continued and he put his hands in his pockets and started to pace. He did the same thing when interrogating a suspect and it gave him a sense of power. "I know that everyone read about what happened; who was involved and now know details of the case I myself wish were kept out of the media for my family's sake. Isabel and her mother are incredibly strong for not letting their ordeal consume them both and Isabel especially doesn't need to be harassed at school. She was traumatised enough from the events of six months ago without your daughter saying that the psychopath that tried to kill her should have tried harder"

XXXXX

"Two weeks in-school suspension, 75 hours community service and a promise to stay away from me until graduation or you'll issue an AVO. You may as well have arrested her" Isabel chuckled softly as she walked with her father through the halls of her school back to his car. Principal Sun thought it best that Isabel took the rest of the day off to get her lip and cheek checked out.

"I wanted to that's for sure" he smiled and wrapped his arm around Isabel's shoulders "You should never have to hear anything like that from anyone"

"I know..."

"And you had every right to snap"

"No I didn't. I should have just ignored her. I should have walked away"

"From what I heard, you couldn't have walked away with her pinning you to your locker. She then backhanded you causing that nasty gash on your cheek" Joey sighed relaying what Principal Sun had told him. She had gotten first hand reports from 20 or more onlookers explaining exactly what happened.

"That's when I may have broken her nose" Isabel giggled before turning serious "Hoyt's gonna haunt Mom and I for the rest of our lives isn't he?"

"He is in prison, he can't hurt you anymore"

"Dead or alive just the thought of him will be enough"

Joey didn't know what to say to his daughter as he opened the car door and waited for her to slide in. He hated that he couldn't have done anything then or could do much now. His daughter was hurting and he didn't know what to do. Driving back to the precinct, the pair travelled in silence. Isabel wasn't in much of a mood to talk especially as she thought about the new obvious scar that would soon form on her cheek.

Isabel and Joey rode the elevator in silence as they travelled up to the floor of the Homicide Department. As much as Isabel just wanted to go home, Joey had to go back to work and there is no way Jane would let her daughter be alone in her state.

"Hey... What the hell happened to you?" Jane gasped as she saw Isabel and the injuries to her face.

"I uh fell down the stairs at school, tripped over my own feet" Isabel chuckled softly and stood still as her mother surveyed the gash on her cheek "I'm just gonna go see if Maura will stitch this up for me. I don't need another scar"

Isabel quickly slipped away before either of her parents could protest. Jane took a step to follow her battered fifteen year old but Joey stopped her "Let her go"

"She didn't fall down a flight of stairs did she?" Jane sighed and looked back at Joey as Isabel disappeared into the elevator.

"Come into my office and we'll talk"

XXXXX

"Hey Maura" Isabel smiled weakly as she walked into the morgue and put her backpack down by the door. Surrounded by death and crime scenes her entire life, Isabel wasn't a rookie when it came to the morgue. The teenager sometimes felt more comfortable down in the cold room watching her mother's best friend solve the mystery of someone's death.

"Good afternoon Isabel" The medical examiner chuckled while she was elbow deep in a man's chest. "Bad day at school?" she asked noticing the cuts on the teenager's face. By the depressed emotion on Isabel's face, Maura expected that the fifteen year old had experienced a rough morning.

"I remember you telling me a couple years ago that you used to be scared of people and interacting with them" Isabel began as she sat up on the empty morgue table beside to where Maura was working "How did you get over your fear?"

"Systematic Desensitisation"

"Systematic what?"

"Desensitisation. Repeated exposure. The more I interacted with living people, the emotional response commonly known as fear began to become less prominent" Maura responded. From the very start Isabel called her a walking search engine because much of what she said could be found in a Google search. As much as it usually amused Isabel, the teenager simply nodded and thought about what it all meant.

When Isabel went back to school after Hoyt's attack she was the biggest gossip topic for weeks. People would whisper as she walked past or try to get a look at the scar on her neck. Ignoring the whispers for the most part, Isabel kept to herself and only really spoke when she was spoken to. The usually bright and bubbly girl was now shy and reserved and just not the same kid.

Isabel hoped that six months after the attack she had just slipped through the cracks and went about her days seemingly unnoticed. Being pushed around by Lindsay jostled her and Isabel just wanted to hide away from the world. Fear of the whispers invaded the teenagers mind once again.

"What happened today?"

"Can you stitch this cut up for me please?" Isabel asked quickly avoiding any chance to talk about what happened earlier that day.

"I don't have any anaesthetic, it will hurt if I do it" Maura sighed softly knowing that Isabel would talk when she was ready.

"That's ok. What's a little pain right?"

"Isabel..."

"Please?"

"Ok" the medical examiner nodded and finished up her autopsy before pulling off her gloves and gown. Finding clean gloves and everything she needed to stitch up Isabel's gash, Maura set herself up beside the teenager "I would feel more comfortable if you had some sort of numbing agent before I did this"

"Trust me, I won't feel it"

Maura nodded and rubbed the large orange antiseptic cotton bud over the cut watching Isabel's reaction to pain very closely. No-one ever wanted to have stitches without some sort of anaesthesia. Taking the first stitch very slowly, Maura watched as Isabel closed her eyes and started to breathe deeply. More of a yoga fan than her mother, Isabel practiced one of the many meditation techniques Maura had taught her over the years. The breathing exercises were usually the most effective techniques to get the teenager to sleep after a Charles Hoyt related nightmare.

Jane walked into the morgue as Maura began the second last stitch and opened her mouth to protest the unauthorised medical procedure but was quickly waved down by Maura. Isabel had stayed calm and controlled for the last half an hour as they slowly stitched up the cut on her face and Maura wasn't about to let Jane ruin that. Even though Maura didn't know what happened to the girl she was sure that surprising or upsetting her was not the best option at that moment.

Waiting til Maura had finished stitching and packing away her equipment, Jane sat up on the table next to her daughter silently. Joey had filled her in on everything that had happened at school and after an angry rant about throwing Lindsay in prison with the rest of Boston's scum, the concerned mother calmed down and tried to think about her daughter was feeling. A silent tower of strength through Hoyt's attack, Isabel couldn't always be expected to keep her emotions to herself. Keeping those feeling bottled up could eat a vulnerable young girl like Isabel alive.

"Do you mind if we boycott Gnocchi night at Grandma's and just have Thai or something for dinner tonight?" Isabel asked after sitting quietly beside her mother for ten or more minutes.

"With pleasure" Jane chuckled softly "I'm not up for dealing with Rizzoli family fun tonight either"

"Does Rizzoli family fun include you grilling me about what happened at school today? I really don't want to talk about it..."

"Your dad filled me in on what happened but I would like to hear your side of it all"

"You want to know why I asked the school to call him and not you..."

"Well yeah that too" Jane sighed softly. If Isabel ever had a problem, Jane was the first one there. If there was something wrong at school, Jane was the one they called. It had been Isabel and Jane against the world for so long that it was strange for Jane to be left out of the loop.

"I asked Principal Sun to call Dad today because I didn't want to see you hurting again when you looked at the girl who said Hoyt should have tried harder to kill me. I didn't want her to see you get angry because it would have meant she won... it means Hoyt has won"

"I can't let him win"

**Thoughts?**


	6. Chapter 6

"It's been three days" Jane sighed as she and Maura watched Isabel sketch some comic strip out on the balcony. The teenager had barely moved from the hammock on their small apartment balcony since she was attacked at school.

"Well Isabel had an emotional break when she said that she couldn't let Hoyt win. It's understandable that she wants to shut herself out from everything. She's emotionally unstable at the moment"

"I just wish there was something I could do"

"Sometimes just letting her cope herself is the only thing..."

"Not helping Maura" she sighed and ran her hands through her hair. Sighing loudly as she heard her cell start to ring, Jane didn't want to leave Isabel "Rizzoli... I'm on my way"

"A lead in the case?" Maura asked knowing that must be what was going on considering her phone didn't ring also. She only got called with test results and dead bodies.

"Korsak found a connection between our victim and a heroin bust I did with the drugs squad a few years back but I can't leave Isabel..."

"I'll stay and watch her" Maura smiled

"Are you sure?"

"Go, I'm still waiting for the preliminary report on the victim anyway" she chuckled starting to push Jane toward the door. Jane needed to work if not only to find this killer but to keep her mind off Isabel for a little while. The young mother couldn't help but blame herself for Hoyt, Lindsay and now Isabel's lack of communication.

"Are you sure?"

"Just go"

Sighing softly with a thankful smile, Jane grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. The sooner she caught this guy, the sooner she could figure out how to get Isabel off the hammock and back at school. Maura closed the door behind her best friend before making her way out onto the balcony. Watching Isabel for a moment, the medical examiner coughed and made her presence known.

"Your Mom just got called into work but she'll be back soon"

"And she left you to baby sit?"

"Only because she's worried about you" Maura sighed and silently asked if she could sit down beside the teenager. Moving her pencil tin, Isabel moved across and Maura sat down "You've barely moved from this surprisingly comfortable hammock for three days"

"Because it's surprisingly comfortable" Isabel giggled

"What is the real reason?"

"What happened to 'sometimes letting her cope herself is the only thing?'"

"You heard that?"

"I've heard everything for the last three days and I really wish you would all stop worrying" the teenager sighed "I'm fine"

"Your parents, grandparents and uncles not to mention me beg to differ Isabel" Maura shrugged "You finally had a breakthrough after containing your emotional response to Charles Hoyt for the last six months. You don't want to go back to school, you're not fine"

"Do you all want me to just admit that I'm scared? Scared of people staring at me again, whispering about me again, making me relive the day Hoyt tried to kill me every single day?" Isabel sighed and burst into tears. Falling into Maura's open arms the teenager cried for what felt like hours. Letting out all her emotion, Isabel felt like she was crying six months worth of tears. Maura never moved but simply held the teenager til she'd calmed down.

XXXXX

"Will you stop?" Maura snapped as she opened the door to Jane's apartment and glared at the visitor harshly. She had just taken Isabel to her room and gotten her to sleep after crying for an hour. The teenager didn't need to be woken up by loud knocking.

"How is she?"

"She's asleep but if you keep knocking that will change" she snapped and stood aside to let Joey into the apartment. Isabel just needed some sleep in the hope it made her feel better.

"I'm sorry" Joey sighed and handed Maura the bouquet of tulips he'd bought for his daughter. They'd been Isabel's favourite since she was a little girl and always a good gift when Joey had cancelled on her. "They're her favourite"

"I will make sure she gets them" Maura smiled weakly as she found a vase and put the flowers in water. They would replace the tulips Joey had bought over the day Lindsay abused Isabel at school. "I know Jane has thought about it but have you considered letting Isabel change schools? To one where she'd feel more comfortable?"

"Until three days ago, I didn't even know she'd been having problems at school"  
>"No-one did, if you haven't noticed Isabel isn't as talkative as she was before Hoyt's attack"<p>

"I have noticed thank you" Joey growled softly "What good will a new school do? She'll be the new kid, people will still stare"

"At least at a new school no-one will know what that girl said to her. Isabel can start fresh and make new friends who won't judge her..."

Joey leant back on the side table and nodded knowing Maura was right. Isabel never should have gone back to her school after Hoyt but the teenager was determined to get her life back to normal. Maybe a fresh start was just what she needed.

**Thankyou all so much for reading my story! I thought I would get this done before this weekend but I've had so many ideas that I want to keep it going. The only downside, I'm going on holiday for a month and won't be able to update til I get back. I hope you all still read when I get back. You've all been amazing!**


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